KidsWish is thrilled to be the beneficiary of this year’s Great Illawarra Walk with the funds raised helping to support programs and services for children living with disability or illness and their families.
The iconic annual event, which started 18 years ago, will be held on Saturday 8 March with hundreds of walkers lining up to complete the course from Shellharbour to Austinmer.
Many walkers will do the entire 40km trek, some will even run all the way to the finish line at Headlands Hotel while entrants can also do part of the course.
The KidsWish Blue Mile from Belmore Basin to Stuart Park in North Wollongong will again be a popular part of the event with walkers of all ages and abilities taking the stroll along the fully sealed path along the foreshore.
There will be a free family-friendly party at the end of the 1.6km section of the Walk.
KidsWish Stakeholder Engagement and Fundraising Manager Emily Wright said the support from The Great Illawarra Walk would make a massive difference to the lives of countless children living with disability or illness and their families.
“We’re really excited to be getting the funding from The Great Illawarra Walk this year. It’s going to allow us to grow KidsWish programs, allowing more children to benefit from building their social skills, making friends and being part of a community,” she said.
“The Sports Academy is one example of the free programs that KidsWish provides and it’s a fantastic opportunity for kids to experience being part of a team, learning new skills and having fun.
“It’s for those kids who may not be suited to other sporting programs.
“With ongoing equipment needs for all of our programs and limited funding for kids to attend group programs, this funding is really, really important to KidsWish and provides so many opportunities and experiences for kids that they may not otherwise have.”
Chris Lovatt, one of the founders of The Great Illawarra Walk, said the committee members were incredibly proud to be supporting KidsWish for the second year.
“We realise how good KidsWish is and how well it fits in with our ethos,” he said.
“We started the event 18 years ago and the main focus of the event is to raise money for children living with sickness and disability. And KidsWish tick both boxes for us.
“We know that the money is being well spent and it’s going to support fantastic programs that do wonderful things for the children and support the parents as well because the parents are always looking for something for their children to be able to do.
“KidsWish do an incredible job and we’re very proud to be supporting them.”
The event will take in the coastal route this year, starting in Shellharbour Village.
“One of the things that stands out when you are walking that distance is you feel a bit of pain but then you think we’re actually doing some good, making a difference for the community and children,” Chris added.
“You don’t have to do the whole distance, you can walk from Shellharbour to Wollongong or Wollongong to Austinmer.
“It’s just a great event all the way through. Legs are tired for most people but that’s fine, it’s all part of it. We still come back every year.”
Chris said The Great Illawarra Walk is different to some charities in that every dollar that is raised is donated to KidsWish.
“It’s a very, very generous community that we have in the Illawarra.
“The shirts are donated by LJ Hooker, they provide water for every person, four thousand bottles of water. Headlands Hotel provides food at the end. All donated free of charge. Because we get all those donations that means we can donate 100% of what we’ve raised.
“People know that when they donate every single cent is going to go to a good cause.”
Jackii is one of the parents who is thrilled to have the support of KidsWish’s programs because her kids can participate in programs that keep them active and engaged.
“We really like coming to KidsWish because my children get the opportunity to socialise with children in similar situations,” she said.
“With KidsWish Sports Academy they get to not only meet new people and join in, but get to be themselves and be unique.”
For more information, visit The Great Illawarra Walk website.
We’d love to hear how yourself or someone you know has been impacted by KidsWish.
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Tell us how KidsWish has touched your life. This is an opportunity to share your KidsWish experience. These questions are provided as a guide to help us to understand the full picture of your story and how KidsWish has impacted you and your family.
There is no need to provide a response to every question.
1. Why/how did you become involved with KidsWish? 2. What do you get out of your involvement with KidsWish? 3. Why is KidsWish important to you? 4. How does KidsWish help you/your family? 5. Who is in your family? 6. What challenges do you face? 7. Your child/children’s diagnosis?
